Overview
- Two new state laws will require pay ranges in job ads this July, with Virginia’s statute effective July 1, 2026, and Maine’s statute effective July 29, 2026.
- Virginia now requires a good-faith wage or salary range in every public and internal posting and bans asking applicants for prior pay, with anti-retaliation protections for those who request ranges or decline to share history.
- Virginia’s enforcement allows lawsuits for actual damages within one year and attorney general actions that can seek civil penalties up to $1,000 for a first violation and up to $5,000 for later ones, with a 15‑business‑day window to fix posting errors after written notice.
- Maine’s law applies to employers with 10 or more employees and requires pay ranges in postings or a commission-only notice, employee access to the range for their current job on request, and payroll record retention during employment and for three years after, with enforcement by the state labor department.
- The two states join roughly 25 jurisdictions with similar rules, making Virginia the first Southern state with a posting requirement and extending New England’s statewide coverage, which could lead to closer scrutiny of wide ranges and more disputes over multistate postings and employer headcount rules.